SYDNEY, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Australian state of Victoria will call on a large back-up of reserve electricity to prevent blackouts during summer.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) announced on Tuesday that 2,000 megawatts (MW) of power will available to supplant the state's grid during heatwaves.
The security of the Victoria's power was thrown into chaos in March when the Hazelwood Power Station, the dirtiest power station in Australia, was shut down with little notice.
At its peak Hazelwood produced 25 percent of Victoria's electricity but the reserve announced by AEMO has a greater capacity than the 1,600 MW station did.
The reserve power will be generated by gas and diesel-powered generators as well as more than 1,000 MW of demand-response reserves, a program which invites households to volunteer to use less power during peak times.
Audrey Zibelman, AEMO managing director, said she was confident that the operator had taken all necessary actions to ensure Victoria was prepared for summer.
"As the independent market and system operator, AEMO's primary role is to maintain system balance by procuring resources to meet the demands of the system at a time and at a location where it is necessary," she told News Limited on Tuesday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that southeast Australia has an increased chance of experiencing heatwaves this summer due to a La Nina event in the Southern Pacific.
It has been said that conditions are similar to those in the lead-up to the summer of 2008/09 during which Victoria and South Australia experienced a record-breaking heatwave.
During the event, Melbourne recorded its hottest-ever temperature of 46.4 degrees Celsius. More than 370 deaths were reported as a result of the phenomenon.
South Australia will draw on power stored in the world's largest lithium-ion battery, which was built by U.S. energy storage giant Tesla near Adelaide, to prevent blackouts.
